Swage and flare joints enable two tubes having about the same overall perimeter size to be fitted together, one inside the other. In general, this involves flaring a first tube so as to increase the inside perimeter of the first tube, and swaging the second tube so as to decrease the outside perimeter of the second tube. In this way, the second tube can be received within the first tube.
The joint thus produced however may prove problematic insofar as there may be very limited contact between the swaged tube and the flared tube. This result can occur when the walls of a square swaged tube are deformed along their a substantial portion of their length such that the only contact between the swaged tube and a mating flared tube occurs at the four corners of the swaged tube. Such point contact may permit movement between the swaged tube and the flared tube. As well, point contact between the swaged tube and the flared tube, may contribute to instability of the assembled joint that could result in wobbling of a structure supported by the joint, and/or may result in a relatively weaker joint that could fail in some loading situations.
In view of the foregoing, it would be useful to provide swage and flare joints that implement substantial contact between the swaged portion and the flared portion of the joint.